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To design with a purpose and move beyond the craft of woodworking, the Indianapolis-based, wood shop, Purposeful Design, looks to create more in its employees than just great work ethic. With a tag line: Building Furniture to Rebuild Lives, Purposeful Designs employs and trains men who are without or have been without a home and find securing a job difficult. PD Indy "...design and build a variety of furniture, each handmade by these men. Much like the wood (Indiana hardwood) we use, each piece of furniture is unique and behind it a unique story of life restored." - PDIndy/About.
Patrons are encouraged to stop by the Purposeful Design shop anytime and employees are encouraged to linger before and after work hours for fellowship, Bible Study and more. Most recently, you can find PD Indy works in the cafeteria at Pendleton Heights High School and in the new, Braden Business Systems HQ in downtown Fishers.
Interview recorded on August 23, 2017. Hosted by Taylor Bennett. Part 1 of 1.
Read a partial transcript of the interview here:
Bennett: Established in 2013, Purposeful Designs is already outgrowing its home and taking on big clients, was this success expected
Mayes: No, I know the passion our Director David Palmer has put into this. From the start we asked God's blessing if this was to continue; if not let's get over it quick. In that sense, the growth is not surprising.
Bennett: You've been here from the beginning...did you have a plan
Mayes: I recently retired from the fire service and at that time I was looking for something meaningful to do. I met David Palmer, someone brought us together and said I think you two have something in common. He had a vision to provide work for some of the men he had already contacted down at Wheeler Mission. Some of those men, when they graduate that program, don't have a job they can go to. That will often through them back into the cycle of brokenness and poverty. We figured out a way to give these guys employment, direction, discipline, I do some mentoring and we have a weekly Bible Study in the shop.
Bennett: Do they feel a sense of accomplishment when they get to work with their hands and seeing what they create
Mayes: Absolutely. All my life, I've worked with my hands and always like to see what I've accomplished at the end of the day. I think men were born with a purposefulness. Some of these men have made some bad choices but they want to grow out of their past. To have something to get up for each day, to be teamed up with other men that have the same desire to make a difference. Seeing their passion emboldens me and makes us want to go stronger.
Bennett: Describe for me a typical work day. I understand lingering is welcomed.
Mayes: Yes, we love the public to always visit us. Some of the guys come in as early a 7 a.m.. They always have a prayer and scripture verse shared each day; to start the day. Most of these men are cross-trained to be able to do a variety of skills. That's what we are trying to do is give them a foundation so that if they want to go somewhere else, they are qualified to do so.

A special production of Comcast Newsmakers from the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities Idea Summit at the Old National Events Center in Evansville, Indiana. The annual summit features local officials from across the state as they visit together in exchange of development ideas, economic success and needs.
This segment highlights the city of Gary from Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson.

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A special production of Comcast Newsmakers from the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities Idea Summit at the Old National Events Center in Evansville, Indiana. The annual summit features local officials from across the state as they visit together in exchange of development ideas, economic success and needs.
This segment highlights the city of Greendale from Mayor Alan Weiss.
Thumbnail provided by Eagle Country Online.

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A special production of Comcast Newsmakers from the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities Idea Summit at the Old National Events Center in Evansville, Indiana. The annual summit features local officials from across the state as they visit together in exchange of development ideas, economic success and needs.

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A special production of Comcast Newsmakers from the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities Idea Summit at the Old National Events Center in Evansville, Indiana. The annual summit features local officials from across the state as they visit together in exchange of development ideas, economic success and needs.
This segment highlights the city of Evansville by Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.

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A special production of Comcast Newsmakers from the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities Idea Summit at the Old National Events Center in Evansville, Indiana. The annual summit features local officials from across the state as they visit together in exchange of development ideas, economic success and needs.
This segment highlights the city of Aurora by City Manager Guinevere Emery.

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A special production of Comcast Newsmakers from the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities Idea Summit at the Old National Events Center in Evansville, Indiana. The annual summit features local officials from across the state as they visit together in exchange of development ideas, economic success and needs.
This segment highlights the town of Avon by Town Manager Tom Klein.

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A special production of Comcast Newsmakers from the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities Idea Summit at the Old National Events Center in Evansville, Indiana. The annual summit features local officials from across the state as they visit together in exchange of development ideas, economic success and needs.
This segment highlights the City of Plymouth by Director of City Promotion Laura Mann.

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More from Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Founder Betty Perry. Perry describes how the program is put in place to foster a child's development through their entire developmental stage. The program does not force kids to become professional musicians, although that has been a happy by-product in several examples but rather fosters a child's drive and motivation to be the best they can be in school and life. Don't miss Part I of this series, found here More than Music: A Look at the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (Part I)
Watch the conclusion of this series here More than Music: A Look at the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (Part III)
Interview recoreded on August 23, 2017. Hosted by Taylor Bennett. Part 2 of 3.
Read a partial transcript of the interview here:
Bennett: What I really like about this program is the longevity. Tell me more about that.
Perry: The thought behind that is that anybody can have an exposure to music. What we found was that we wanted to keep the children in an environment that was extremely positive; based on the developmental needs of youth. We thought if we let a child come in for a year, that wasn't really going to impact his life, but if he were able to come into a program with long-term goals then he'd have a better chance at graduating high school and going onto college.
Bennett: You said the drop out rate is very low, if at all.
Perry: We have a waiting list. We stress that when you come into the program it's not about exposure.

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A special production of Comcast Newsmakers from the Accelerate Indiana Municipalities Idea Summit at the Old National Events Center in Evansville, Indiana. The annual summit features local officials from across the state as they visit together in exchange of development ideas, economic success and needs.

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With leading department stores and online, retail giants, finding space in the marketplace for handmade goods and business, like tailoring, which is based on face-to-face interaction, may seem like a pipe dream. For one local artist, that pipe dream, ultimately, turned into a dream realized. Andrew Porter from Andrew Porter Fine Clothiers specializes in the art of handmade suits for the rich and famous and the working man. Talking with Indy's premiere tailor begs the question: what's the value of a handmade suit these days Porter discusses his early influences and showcases the value of his craft. CNBC once reported that custom tailoring demand is high in the United States but the number of tailors is shrinking; while the average age of a tailor is increasing. Without dwelling on that idea, custom tailor Porter recalls the ups and downs in his own journey and rests on the importance of word of mouth in gaining new clients. For more with Andrew be sure to watch Tailor-Made in Indiana (Part II) and Tailor-Made in Indiana (Part III).
Interview(s) recorded on July 12, 2017. Hosted by Taylor Bennett. Part 1 of 3.
Read a partical transcript of the interview here:
Bennett: As an entrepreneur in a classic business, how did you combine the two
Porter: I'm originally from Michigan and my father was a pastor. I get my appetite for dressing from him. I found myself begining to like patterns, fabrics, clothing and suits; paring shirts with suits. It grew into a passion. I began selling off-the-rack suits at entry level pricing and found a lot of competition from the big department stores. I realized it needed to get to a more niche market/client of custom-made clothing. That started by in 2002 and blossomed into a decent business.
Bennett: Is word of mouth how you've got your business to grow
Porter: Yes. I went through the economic downtown of 2008, 2009, 2010. It was a pretty rough few years. Early on, I was going to every networking luncheon, business luncheon, mayor's luncheon and passing out business cards. I had some good people in Indy that I connected with who saw my passion. Once I was able to do business with them, they turned me on to their friends. Fortunately now, I don't have to do much marekting.
Bennett: You've fitted a lot of people, any fond memories that stand out right now
Porter: That's a really good question. Gary Brackett was one of my first, professional clients; really fun guy and really easy to work with. Early one, like with any company, you take some bumps on the head. I alwasy wanted to start off and work for myself. I had some issues early one and some embarassing moments, but I stuck with it. People see my passion and it's worked out to be a great business.
Bennett: Coming up, Andrew helps me dispel some common, men's style myths and later he will demonstrate how he measures for a new suit. Click the link below to watch parts two and three.

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